The NBA season now feels just around the corner as the league announced Thursday the schedule for the opening week of games for the 2017-18 season along with the high-profile Christmas Day matchups.

The season begins October 17th with an Eastern Conference Finals rematch as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers face off against Isaiah Thomas and the Boston Celtics.

Immediately afterward, Finals MVPKevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors begin their defense of the championship belt as they meet the new and improved Houston Rockets backcourt of James Harden and Chris Paul. The ring ceremony will also take place for Golden State during the opening night festivities.

The rest of the opening week features a variety of familiar powerhouses and new-look teams:

Christmas Day should bring a multitude gifts as well. The holiday is highlighted by the heavyweight brawl between the Cavaliers and the Warriors for the third consecutive year.

Other marquee matchups include former MVP frontrunners as Harden and the Rockets square up against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Washington Wizards and the Celtics will face off also, bringing a rematch of the very physical Eastern Conference semifinals matchup last postseason.

The remaining games include the Philadelphia 76ers taking on the New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Minnesota Timberwolves.